Need Some Press Wisdom

[Wasalmonslayer]

Thank you guys for all the input!

The main reason for this press is to replace a very worn/sloppy hand me down press from when I started reloading about 25 years ago.

I love my 550’s but you can’t use lee style sizers for sizing bullets in them, you can’t cut gas checks and I get a lot of runout in my rifle ammo which does not aid in helping accuracy.

The main reason I like the look of the turret is the wide open area to work in which is why I started looking at the mec marksman too.

The O framed are very ridging design which I like but the cast turrets look very stout just never seen one first hand and nobody I know has one locally.

I owned a lee classic cast turret for years and it was a great press made lots and lots of pistol, 30-30, 223, and so forth.
My 550’s have replaced that set up and they are wonderful at what they do for my reloading!

 

[Jeff H]

I'm going to post this BEFORE reading the other posts, just in case you're dialing up a dealer as I type. I was a bit out of the loop this week.

Most of my experience with other presses came before 1982, and Lyman, RCBS, Bair, others were all great... all cast-iron, heavy, rock-solid stuff, EXCEPT one, which I did NOT like.

Remember who's typing here - I tend to lean toward many things others aren't necessarily fond of - my likes don't always parallel with most others'.

I "upgraded" to a Lyman Turret press, sometime in the early nineties, from my original LEE, three-hole turret press. I'd saved some money and meant to "move up." I used the Lyman for about a year and ended up selling it for what a replacement LEE turret press cost me at the time and am still using the LEE press. I used to shoot a few wildcats and several AI cartridges in expensive barrels which shot tiny groups with jacketed bullets.

The things I did not like:
It was bulky, balky and slow, compared to the LEE. I could swing the aluminum lever with two fingers until the case mouth neared the die mouth. The LEE was light, lively and fast. That may sound stupid, but it really was a drag to handle the Lyman handle all the way up and down.

The Lyman turrets were expensive and heavy. Some turrets (about half) made me mix die sets on turrets, unlike the LEE, which allowed me to have a set per turret, for the most part. Organization and storage was more preferred with the LEE turrets.

Changing turrets on the Lyman was more of an operation than the LEE. With the LEE, it was more like changing sockets on a ratchet.

The Lyman gave me my first-ever (and last) problems with keeping necks straight and with seating run-out. Being anchored in the middle, the turret would tilt under heavier sizing/forming, while being supported on the circumference, the LEE turrets "floated," and yes, they moved, but evenly on front and back. Believe it or not I loaded more accurate ammo (when I was being pickier than I needed to be) with the LEE.

I think the main thing was how the big, cast-iron press made me work the lever all the way up and all the way down, while the LEE was much freer and light. MAYBE the tolerances were better on the Lyman? Actually, no. The ram was pretty good, but not as "tight" as the LEE.

Now, this was a long time ago and I have unusual preferences, which I think most here already know, so take my perspective with a grain of salt.

My one single-stage press is a LEE O-press, which I think I got for $15 or $20 on some kind of "come-on" special, many years ago. I actually love that stupid little thing. It's bolted to an ash board that I clamp wherever I want to use it, and I use it mostly for sizing bullets. I once used it to decap thousands of GI 45 and 7.62x5 cases, bu I don't do that any more, but the same "light and lively" characteristics make it easy to get a smooth, efficient and fast tempo sizing bunches of bullets.

In defense of the Lyman, the guy I sold it to still has it. I don't know if he uses it, but I saw it bolted to his bench in the background of a pic he texted me of something else a while back.

 

[Missionary]

We bought an RCBS Junior after the Army in 76 and loaded 1000's of ammo.
One son now has it for his loading. Cleaned & oiled it off and on and it was always loading good ammo

 

[Ian]

I see possible confusion on this thread about Lee turret presses. The CLASSIC turret (confusing name, it's a relatively new press, from maybe 15 years or more ago) has a 1.5" diameter ram, cast iron base, and primers collect in a tube that sticks on a machined nipple on the bottom of the ram. It takes regular 4-hole turret inserts and has 1/2" more stroke than the original turret design. The other Lee turret press is the old one with the tall, cast aluminum base and 1" ram that spits primers out the side and into funnels where they collect in the base until you take it off the bench or drill a hole through the bench and screw a soda bottle under it to collect them. Also, the older design has a cast aluminum handle and stamped steel linkages. The CLASSIC turret has a steel rod handle and heavy, powdered-metal linkages. The CLASSIC is a great press and does heavy work, the old, not made anymore, lightweight turret press is good for pistol ammo and that's about it.

To further confuse things, Lee just came out with new press designs and use a powdered-metal base for their lightweight turret and progressive presses. They are pretty much junk as far as I can tell. I got a 4-hole progressive thinking it would be the greatest thing ever (basically a 4-station Pro-1000) but it had huge alignment problems and the new indexing feature is crap. Flimsy and inaccurate, it's a step backwards from the original turret/pro-1000 base design IMO.

 

[Jeff H]

If I'd have stopped and read the three posts that popped up while I was typing, I could have stopped typing.

 

[Jeff H]

..... the old, not made anymore, lightweight turret press is good for pistol ammo and that's about it....

I certainly appreciate your experiences and pay heed, listen and consider it any time I read it. On this one item, I do have to disagree - at least to an extent.

ABSOLUTELY, the older turret press is great for handgun, 30/30-like, 223-based cartridges, etc. BUT,...

While I don't load the 50 BMG, or even belted magnums, I'd still say the older turret press is absolutely fully capable of more than just pistol ammo. I've loaded many of the '06-based cases, x57-based cases and 308-based cases on these with excellent results, even forming x57s from '06s, and various other forming operations, albeit probably not the worst of the worst for force required.

Now, maybe someone else has worn one out, who did a lot more of the more difficult stuff than I have, but for anything requiring full-length sizing of most commercial cases, these older presses are perfectly adequate. I wouldn't rule one out, especially if you found one in good shape for cheap and it came several turrets to boot. I admit they are built light compared to the more robust stuff, even fro LEE as they began to beef things up, but I find advantages in that.

Maybe I don't flat-out disagree. I must say though that I've gotten a lot more use from mine than loading pistol ammo and felt like I was at no disadvantage. I might meet in the middle and say they're a BIG step up from a Truline Jr., which I lived as a kid and probably influenced my gravitation to it to begin with.

 

[JonB]

I have the LEE Classic Cast turret press
and
the LEE Classic Cast single stage press.
As Ian pointed out, Lee has a number of similar models, I highly recommend the "Classic Cast" version of each (cast Iron).

I haven't had any issues with either, they each have their own uses for me, so I'd strongly suggest getting both. You should be able to buy both for under $300 (for the pair) ...and likely near $200 for the pair if you watch for deals.

 

[BudHyett]

RCBS JR press for over half a century, worked well when combined with Forster-Appelt Bonanza or Redding Benchrest seating dies. The JR press is strong enough for case forming. I now use it for nose-first bullet sizing with the NOE die setup.

Then a Forster-Appelt Bonanza press was added, this new press eliminated a few flyers. The ease of sliding in dies instead of having to screw them in is a bonus.

I've had a Lyman turret press and traded it as the ammunition was not as accurate over a season of shooting.

Based on what I see on the market today, I'd get the RCBS Rebel press or the Forster-Appelt Bonanza press.

 

[Ian]

Jeff, I've loaded a lot of .270 and .30-'06 on the old style, 3-hole turret presses and they do ok, but you have to be young, strong, and determined or you'll have a sore arm afterward. I guess I'm too harsh on things, but really it's like pulling a 5th wheel travel trailer with a half-ton pickup: Will it work? Yup. Will it work really well? Nope. The CLASSIC cast press is sooooooo much better at heavy resizing and general loading of large rifle cases.

 

[Charles Graff]

There are lots of older iron O frame presses out there. For a new iron turret press, I would go Redding.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Thanks guys will look into the different Lee iron press's and see if one will fit my needs.

From the group it sounds like the o press is the way to proceed with or a Lee turret cast press.

Thank you very much for all your time and input!

 

[MW65]

I still find good used rockchuckers around here for a good price...

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

CW, when you mention you were dissatisfied with the Lyman turrets, are you speaking of the All Americans? I'm in the process of setting one up now, gathering shell holders, etc. What didn't you like about them?

The American 8 before my modifications had bad runout numbers. There was too much flex in the turret. Now, Im about 1/2 .001. VERY solid & positive feeling press operation. I really enjoy the press now.

With the previous two even with adjustments to the back of the turrets it simply flexed too much.

How I improved my Lyman American 8

I've been bothered by the little bit of deflection in these turrupt presses for decades. From my very first Spartan T to my turret, to my turret II, to my MAG T, to this American eight reloading press

rumble.com

Agree 100% a solid single stage is tantamount to how I re load. I could not do as I do without one.

I also run two 550's one Large prime and one small. For me mostly all pistol. I do have 223 & 300 Blk setups too.

Most of my rifle
Loads are done on the Lyman American 8 or my Frangfort M Press. (Both rebuilt and improved) and then the Lee 4 hole turret for all pistol. I do very much like its operations (I removed automatic rotation cause its backwards to my preference.

I have a half dozen presses under my bench and others I have used and sold or traded off. I like what I see from the MEC single stage rifle press.

CW

 

[462]

For a long time I used RCBS's JR and Rock Chucker II presses. About eight years ago I sold the Rock Chucker after buying a lightly used Lee Classic Cast (iron, not the aluminum version) four-hole turret for the cost of shipping two small flat rates boxes of clip-on ingots to Agness, Oregon.

For me, the turret's real benefit is its convenience and primer capture system, with its speed a very distance second. It does everything I need a press to do and produces ammunition that shoots at least as accurately as I can shoot it. However, I still use the JR to pull bullets, ram prime, and nose-first size.

The only weakness I've found are its primer arms. I've tried several large and small arms and none of them will seat primers other than flush, and one small arm doesn't even do flush. I mainly use a hand primer, and if press priming use the RCBS ram prime because of its seating depth adjustability.

 

[smokeywolf]

Hollywood single stage here. I may someday convert it to a turret. I've yet to see a press built as robustly as a Hollywood Gun Shop press. Of course, you can't hardly touch one in good shape for less than $300.

 

[Jeff H]

Jeff, I've loaded a lot of .270 and .30-'06 on the old style, 3-hole turret presses and they do ok, but you have to be young, strong, and determined or you'll have a sore arm afterward. I guess I'm too harsh on things, but really it's like pulling a 5th wheel travel trailer with a half-ton pickup: Will it work? Yup. Will it work really well? Nope. The CLASSIC cast press is sooooooo much better at heavy resizing and general loading of large rifle cases.

Well,..... yeah.

Two outa three will get one there, but but "determined" is the one of those three requirements I still possess in full force and without the other two, it makes everything that much more work.

 

[Jeff H]

....

The only weakness I've found are its primer arms. I've tried several large and small arms and none of them will seat primers other than flush, and one small arm doesn't even do flush. I mainly use a hand primer, and if press priming use the RCBS ram prime because of its seating depth adjustability.

That was another issue I had with the Lyman. I THINK it was a "T-Mag?" Primers would NOT seat squarely. Recently, I was breaking down some old ammo from the nineties and ran across a couple boxes of 257 Roberts I loaded on that press. I KNEW it was on that press because the primers were lopsided.

With the old LEE turret press, I rotated the lever CW two teeth, compared to how the pictures of that press I saw in ads and instructions portrayed it. When I primed, I could wrap my thumb around the lever and four fingers around the right/front post and squeeze, which gave me excellent control and perfectly seated primers. I got away from press-priming when I stopped using my turret press as a hand press and bough the LEE hand-priming tools.

 

[Ian]

I'll agree with Michael the Classic Turret doesn't seat primers more than flush, which isn't enough and is a problem I've been determined to remedy for some time but haven't gotten to it yet. Lee hand primer does the work just fine.

 

[Jeff H]

Looking at the pictures of the LEE Classic Turret Press since this thread started, I like it. If I were starting out/starting over, that would be the one. Surely can't argue against the current spent primer disposal situation. The base of my old one is about full again already. Every time I have tyo empty it, I think about cutting a big hole in the bench under the press and setting a coffee can under it.

This is the first time I've really looked at any new press closely (except the hand press) in a really long time.

 

[462]

I'll agree with Michael the Classic Turret doesn't seat primers more than flush, which isn't enough and is a problem I've been determined to remedy for some time but haven't gotten to it yet. Lee hand primer does the work just fine.

Shortly after I discovered the problem I e-mailed Lee. Of course the rep denied that such a problem could exist, but if I shipped them the press -- me paying postage both directions, by the way -- they would look into the matter. No thank you, good bye. I attempted a remedy, but don't recall what it was that didn't make any difference.

Hornady hand primer, for me.